Your home is the last place you’d want to imagine yourself getting injured. After all, your home should be your sanctuary. However, we leave ourselves exposed to many risks in our homes by not keeping home safety checks up-to-date.
Home safety is important for all members of the family, especially young children and seniors.
Knowing and assessing common safety risks can greatly reduce any likelihood of accidents or personal injury.
Top Home Safety Risks
1. Slippery Surfaces/Fall Hazards
Areas with wet or slippery surfaces or areas that pose a risk of causing a fall may be the biggest home safety risks. Areas like showers, tile floors or pool decks account for the most personal injuries resulting from falls. Homeowners should consider installing shower bars and non-slip surfaces in areas prone to water.
2. Poison/Chemicals
Everyday household cleaners and chemicals can pose serious home safety risks to toddlers and infants. A bigger threat, however, is accidental poisoning and overdose due to prescription drugs and mixing medications. Some medications should not be mixed. Homeowners should check with the poison control center before taking over-the-counter medications with prescription drugs.
3. Fire/Burns
Fires are a huge home safety risk. Homeowners should check to make sure they have working smoke alarms installed throughout the house. Also make sure to have homes inspected by a code compliance officer or fire marshal.
4. Choking Hazards
If there are small children or infants in the home, homeowners should take extra precaution against leaving out items that might be a choking hazard. These items should not be left in reach of a child or infant and kept out of cribs.
5. Standing Water
Drowning is a particular threat to children and infants. Only a couple inches of water is enough to drown a baby. Pools, sinks, bath tubs should be child-proofed to prevent against an accident occurring.
While these are some of the biggest risks, there are other home features and items homeowners need to be aware of. Knowing these home safety risks can prevent accidental personal injury and even death.
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